President Barack Obama has signed into law a bipartisan budget bill that avoids national default and sets federal spending through the 2017 fiscal year.<br />Obama says the deal puts the government "on a responsible path."<br />Tuesday was the deadline by which the U.S. would have defaulted on its financial obligations without an agreement.<br />The legislation raises the limit on the government's debt until March 2017, pushing reconsideration of the issue until after next year's presidential and congressional elections.<br />Negotiations over the budget wrapped up quickly last week as Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin prepared to become the new House speaker.
